Re: [cobalt-users] Has anyone used Advanced Internet Technologies (AIT) as ISP?

[Brent Sims <brent@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Fri, 2 Jun 2000, Diana Brake so wrote:

} I see you've been with them as a reseller and been ok...but even that was 
} not my experience. I used AIT for years and for the first 1 1/2 years 
} everything appeared to go well..support existed, service was fast. As AIT 
} grew, this all went away. I wasted over a year with them hoping they would 
} get straightened back out.
} <rant>

	I was going to pass on this one but I think now I'll throw
my 0.02 cents into the mix. My hobby is verifying the specifics of
the claims made on Web Hosting Sites. My interest is personal as
we're in the hosting business and I'll publically admit that we
loose a lot of prospects to claims of massive connectivity by some
of our competitors.

	Up till yesterday I respected Advanced Internet
Technogies. According to the rumors I've heard they started with one
server in a spare bedroom and grew into the giant they are today -
gotta respect that. I've also heard they tend to ruin hackers days,
which is something I also enjoy doing and I have to respect that
too. But after the question regarding them was posted I visited
their site and couldn't help but notice the claim of multiple OC-19x
connectivity. We're talking SERIOUS bandwidth here - VERY 
SERIOUS bandwidth. While those who understand this kind of thing
will see some qualifying remarks that ring a bit more true just
beneath that claim, the posting of such a claim will indeed attract
a whole lot of business and, being me, I decided to try and
determine if the claims were true.

	Rather than post my opinion, here's a link to a site where a
free tool can be found that calculates the amount of bandwidth of
all the hops during a traceroute:

	http://ee.lbl.gov/

	I came in from Pueblo, Colorado so your results may be
different but...

	The tool is called pathchar You'll need a regular Linux,
FreeBSD or Solaris powered box to run the beast on but, for those
that have the platform, the results of a pathchar run can be very
enlightening. 

	I certainly mean AIT or anyone else any insult, but I firmly
believe that anyone who'd stretch the truth about one thing will
stretch the truth about other things. Most cable connections provide
more bandwidth than we have but lots and lots of pathchar runs have
taught me that you can't always believe the claims made on a site.

	And before someone stuffs it in my face, I don't buy the
fractional argument. You either have it (the amount of bandwidth 
you claim) or you don't have it. 

	Peace be with you,
	
	Brent
	
	Brent Sims
	WebOkay Internet Services
	http://www.WebOkay.net
	Brent@xxxxxxxxxxx
	(719) 595-1427 (Voice/Fax)